The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-28
Mr.. Brown of Indiana is here.

Prof. Morse bent over his instrument and
pegged away. Tick, tick. tick-tick tick went
came the same rafting line of signals upon an
adjoining machine-the indentation Morse reg
ister
The old man grabbed the slip of paper as 1t
came released from the instrument. scanned it
eagerly. and then, with the air of an emperor
whose crown is self won, he thrust the futter-
ing white scrap forward. What to the congress
men appeared a confused collection of uninte
gible dots and dashes stretched along the paper.
1t was the Geographic alphabet, explained the
enthusiast
"see!-and he displayed another sheet on
which his dot and dash sign manual appeared
'See! Take this for guide and you'll find
printed there the very words you asked trans
mittsd."
The delegation did as directed and sure enough
they spelled out SO the sensational goings-on of
'Mr. Brown of Indiana"
Converted Those Congressman converteGl
Well. hardly. This is the recollection of Mr..
Kirk: lone Of them hunched me and winked
another whispered: That's what cali pretty
thin" and third remarked right out loud:
1t won't 40! That doesn't prove anything
Poor Morses heart was almost broken. His
one of his visitors went away more ekeptical
than ever. The public small a portion as
attributed the results that Morse obtained to
diaboism, or when the more intelligent and
aud scientific minds considered it, TO mere
legerdemain.
it q good joke on me, and had to stand lots Of
chatting around the Capitol. 1t wasn't long be-
fore l saw that Assistant Postmaster general
Bryan had pretty level head a politician in
not wanting to be mixed up with what he called
'Morse's foolishness.' But held on. The truth
is. had fallen in love with that resolute old
man, battling against such odds as pref udlcs
kept piling up against him."
Morse worked only the harder after his failure
to convince the wise men from Congress by the
test of his fve-mile loop. Day by day more poles
were set and more wire was stretched and An
napolis Junction, half way to Baltimore, was
vention of May, 1914, opened in Baltimore.
Here. at the suggestion of Mr. Kirk, Morse
opportunities beyond any that had come to him
before. On the morning that the convention
as well as by day, to get connection through to
Annapolis Junction from his little Washington
machine shop. He had placed bright young
fellow at the Annapolis Junction end with
vention had done just as soon as the afternoon
Baltimore train arrived at the junction and tele-
graph it at once to Washington.
OF course the capital was in q Torment; every
citizen was anxious for the news from BaltI-
more but till trains should arrive from the scene
it was recognized that nothing could be known
The earnest old fellow spent that eventful
afternoon all alone, save for the companionshlp
had finally succeeded in getting a satisfying
message from the junction that all was right
at that end OF the line and ready for the trans
mission of the news as soon as the expected train
lifelong impressions, and it isn't wonderful that
Mr.. Kirk still wildly recalls that strange,
mote room in its forlorn trappngs of wire, and
pots. and chemicals, set in its center with the
old man. nervous, eager vertically gaspng, for
the realization of his lifes chief hope.
Suddenly there came animated clicking.
He who was most interested bent forward as If
intent on fairly consuming the strip OF paper